I really love exploring cities and towns including where Tulsa where I live.
Earlier this week I went to Rose Hill Cemetery here in Tulsa to look for a geocache and found the above monument. Dedicated to the “Veterans of the Grand Army of the Republic.” The Grand Army of the Republic was basically the Union Army during the Civil War. Well that’s good, there are lots of memorials to the veterans of that war, both Union and Confederate. This one was a little different though.
This was dedicated in 2008, 143 years after the war ended. (It ended as far as the Union is concerned. Many of my friends who live in the South, are still fighting the “War of Northern Aggression.” But I’m getting off track.)
So my interest was piqued. “Who would spend the money, time, and energy on such a project.” I mean, it is a really nice memorial, about nine foot tall and made out of granite and landscaped.
So I turn to my best friend Google and find out that it was three organizations. The Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, The Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War, and the Daughters of the American Revolution. They got together, raised some money and got a monument built in a far forgotten corner of an old cemetery. I think that’s cool. I think remembering is important.
It turns out that of the 35,000 people interred at Rose Hill Cemetery there are about 35 Union Army veterans. It reminds me of one of my favorite Bible stories: The Valley of Dry Bones in Ezekiel. The passage is:
“So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone.I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.”
(Ezekiel 37: 7-8 NIV)
I loved that passage as a kid and still do. I could see a whole valley of dry bones as they came together. Legs and arms popping into place, the skeletons rattling as they stand up and look around for their missing parts. And then the ligaments appearing then the skin. Somebody ought to make a movie.
Check out my friend Baloney for more pairing of text with images.
Oh, yes I almost forgot, yes I did find the geocache.
Another great post Yogi. Very interesting.
I love my history lessons by Yogi!
Maybe one day a movie will be made…
Maybe one day a movie will be made…
Geocaching sure does turn up more than little boxes of treasures. This is a big ‘un! I’m glad those great remembering organizations got around to doing this.
NIce post– and we like exploring in whatever city we happen to be in or near! A lot of RVers are into geocaching and it would be a great way to get acquailnted with a new area as well.
Thanks for sharing the snippets of info about the monument (and your personal thoughts as well). The Wynken Blynken monument to the littlest angels made me cry. So many little babies who didn’t make it back when it wasn’t really the good old days!
What a wonderful post! Thank you.
We are in Bardstown, KY, tonight doing all kinds of Civil War memorial and other tourist things. Today we watched a Union-Confederate battle re-enactment. Lots of fun and lots of pictures. We are so on the move that the pictures will be somewhat delayed, but they’ll be coming to a blog near you eventually.
Something else interesting about your post is the name of the cemetery. My grandparents and other relatives are also buried in a “Rose Hill Cemetery” in PA. When we visited a few years ago we discovered the family plot had no marker so we purchased one. We just feel so good about that. Those strong, wonderful people would be forgotten by another generation if their graves weren’t marked.
Love your posts!
Lois